Three-point hitch log skidding attachment

ABSTRACT

There is herein disclosed a new and novel device comprising, in combination, a tractor with a three-point hitch assembly mounted on the rear end thereof, a frame connected to the hitch assembly, an elevated roller assembly mounted on the frame having a fairlead roller rotatable about a horizontal axis, and a power operated winch for pulling a cable over the fairlead for hauling a timber load to the vehicle and subsequently towing the load during movement of the tractor.

O United States Patent 1191 1111 3,739,928 Randall June 19, 1973 [541THREE-POINT HITCH LOG SKIDDING 2,736,442 2/1956 Westholt 214/130 RATTACHMENT 2,493,150 1/1950 Kroger 254/1391 [76] Inventor: Louis E.Randall, Box 117, M10, FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS Mich. 48647173,379 11/1960 Sweden 172/439 [22] Flled: 1971 Primary Examiner-AlbertJ. Maka y [21] Appl. No.: 125,587 Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce 52us. c1. 214/855, 212/7, 280/415 A, [57] ABSTRACT 172/439 There is hereindisclosed a new and novel device com- 51 1m. 01 B60p 1/00 p g, incombination, a tractor "with a three-point 58 Field 61 Search 214/766,130 R, 85.5, hitch assembly mounted on the rear end thereof, 4 214/523;212/7; 254/l39.l; 172/439, frame connected to the hitch assembly, anelevated 4 445; 230/415 R 415 A, 402 roller assembly mounted on theframe having a fairlead roller rotatable about a horizontal axis, and apower op- 5 References Cited erated winch for pulling a cable over thefairlead for UNITED STATES PATENTS hauling a timber load to the vehicleand subsequently 3,576,266 4 1971 Widley 214/855 towmg the load durmgmovement of the tractor 3,004,677 10/1961 Reynolds 214/766 20 Claims, 5Drawing Figures PAINTED- 3.739.928

INV EN TOR.

BY [011/5 I fWr/Z/ THREE-POINT HITCH LOG SKIDDING ATTACHMENT BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION a. Field of the Invention This invention relates,generally, to agricultural implements and, more particularly, to logskidding attachments for use in logging operations.

b. Description of the Prior Art The logging industry in the UnitedStates employs as many different logging techniques as there aredifferent logging regions and tree types. The most common groupingconsists of felling, yarding, towing or ground skidding and decking.During the first or felling phase, a plurality of trees are selected forcutting and are thereafter felled by using any of various types ofmanual or power driven saws, hydraulic shears or the like.

In the second or yarding" phase, the cut trees are brought together intoa yard. This is accomplished by paying out a cable from the winch byrunning it up and over a fairlead roller and out to a distinctly locatedlog or bundle of logs. Thereafter, the cable is secured to the logbundle by using a multiplicity of choker ferrules attached to the end ofthe cable. After the logs are choked, the winch is payed back towardsthe tractor. The logs are drawn or yarded toward the tractor fromdistances of a few yards or up to a quarter mile depending upon the sizeof the winch and the length of the cable secured thereto.

During the third phase, the logs are towed or ground skidded toward acentral assembly or loading area. With the logs directly in back of thevehicle, the operator can lift one end of the bundle free of the groundby taking up on the cable. As the cable is reeved in over the fairleadroller, it lifts the near end of the bundle, thus placing the cableunder considerable tension. Thereafter, the tractor roads the bundle oflogs to the loading area.

The fourth phase consists of severing the limbs and branches from thetrees and the cutting thereof into conventional cord lengths of 4 feetby 4 feet by 8 feet.

The paper industry has a tremendous and continuing need for pulp wood orsoft wood, which is generally used in the making of paper. The types oftrees found to be most useful for this purpose include spruce, aspen,pine and hemlock, among others. The area to which these trees are mostendemic are the South, the North Central States and the Great Lakesregion. Operating throughout these areas are a myriad of people engagingsolely or diversifiably in these activities. The equipment employed isboth complex and expensive, requiring a strong capital structure inorder to build up a pool of such equipment.

Throughout the North Central and Great Lakes region, however, a sizablenumber of persons engage in the aforementioned activities both singlyand in small groups. Their efforts in these areas are usually during thewinter months when crop growing is suspended because of the harshclimatic conditions. Heretofore, they have been handicapped in that theequipment used in these operations is very expensive, hence placing itbeyond the reach of the small farmer or rancher. Through the use of thepresent invention, therefore, the conventional tractor can be easilyadapted to off-season work.

The present invention has been specifically adapted to overcome both thestructural defects existent within the older devices as well as toprovide an inexpensive device for use by small, geographically separateoperators. It has been found that most farmers possess a three-pointhitch and, because it is generally hydraulically operated, it comesfully attached as an integral, component feature of many tractors. It isused as a means by which the majority of agricultural implements areattached to the tractor. It is particularly advantageous in thatimplements can be quickly and easily connected and disconnected; theimplements can be raised from the ground via the hydraulic systemconnected through the lower links which can lift any device off theground by as much as 24 inches; the controls are conveniently locatedastride the operator; the upper link serves as a steadying pointthroughout all operations keeping the implement tandemly located abaftthe tractor and generally in line with the main body thereof obviatingthe problem of lateral shift; and the hitch allows the tractor to beadapted for a myriad of other, nonagricultural types of uses.

The devices presently on the market utilize, in combination, a poweroperated winch assembly, a fairlead roller assembly, and usually, eitheran arch or a derrick and boom type of assembly of various dimensions.Some have been attached directly to the tractor, while others have beentrailed behind the tractor in the form of a separate wheeled or trackassembly. The prime disadvantage inherent in the use of an arch is borneof the fact that every manipulation or actuation of the arch removesweight from and exerts a lifting force upon the tractor through themedium of the tension in the cable and the pull of the winch. Thus, theprime disadvantage of all logging arches is their tendency to verticallylift the tractor, thereby decreasing the available tractive force.

Many of the other devices have been plagued with faults, among which arethe excessive width of the apparatus and limitations as tomaneuverability and excessive weight.

The present invention overcomes the above enumerated faults through theaforementioned combination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates, generally, toagricultural implements and, more particularly, to log skiddingattachments for use in logging operations.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved log skidding attachment which is efficient, durable and ofsimple construction whereby it will not only be economical tocommercially manufacture, but which also will have a long operationallife.

This and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by aconstruction which is so reduced in the number and character of itscomponent parts as to approach the ultimate in structural simplicity tothereby epitomize economy in its manufacture, installation andmaintenance.

The device includes a tractor with a three-point hitch assembly mountedon the rear end thereof. A frame is connected to the hitch assembly andincludes an elevated roller assembly having a fairlead roller rotatableabout a horizontal axis. A power actuated winch is mounted on the rearof the tractor and has a cable which is payed out over the fairleadroller.

Once a plurality of logs have been cut, the tractor will be moved asclose to the site as possible allowing the cable to be payed out to apoint whereby it is juxtaposed to the logs to be roaded. If the tractorcannot effectively ingress to the area where the logs have been cut, itmay be parked at a distance of up to a quarter mile. This willnecessitate the use of a larger winch with a longer cable. Thisconsideration becomes particularly relevant depending on the size of thetractor and the availability of space for accommodating the largerwinch. A plurality of choker ferrules are attached to the end of thecable. The ferrules are slip-knotted and when placed around the log,automatically take up a self-tightening orientation thereabout. When thechokers have been placed around the logs to be skidded, the cable isreeved in over the fairlead roller until the bundle of logs rests abaftthe tractor. One end of the bundle is lifted free of the ground thusfacilitating easier roadability of the entire load during the roadingphase of the operation.

The various objects and advantages and the novel details of constructionof one commercially practical embodiment of the invention will becomemore apparent as this description proceeds, especially when consideredin conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of aconventional tractor illustrating the hitch assembly used in combinationtherewith.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the log skidding attachment of thepresent invention mounted on the rear end of the tractor of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the attachment illustrated in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the log skidding attachment constructedin accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the attachment illustrated in FIG.4 looking in the direction of the arrow A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now in detailto the drawings and, in particular, to FIGS. 2 and 3, a log skiddingattachment 10, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, is shown in operative association with a tractor 12 of anyconventional design.

A frame 14 serves as the principal mode by which the attachment issecured to a hitch (FIG. 1), generally .designated by the numeral 16,which forms an integral part of the tractor 12. A roller assembly 18 isattached to the upper part of the frame 14 and serves to guide a cablecoiled about a power operated winch 20.

The tractor 12, which is used with this invention, is generallyconventional and is shown as having a shortened wheel base. This isimportant in logging operations because of the need for a maximum ofmaneuverability. An enclosed canopy 13 is of the heavy duty tube typehaving a screen panel therearound. This provides, not only for fulloperator vision, but also protection against the possibility of thetimber load entering the confines of the tractor, thus injuring theoperator.

As best seen in FIG. 1, a three-point hitch assembly 16 is illustratedin accordance with the conventional design and is shown in itshydraulically operative relationship with the tractor 12. The hitch, inits present form, was developed in 1935 by the late Harry Ferguson, andsince that time has achieved a wide measure of popularity due to itsflexibility and versatility. As a result of its wide usage, the AmericanSociety of Automotive Engineers standardized the dimensions of thethree-point hitch in 1959, and the brief discussion hereinafter will begenerally in accordance with those standards.

A pair of lower links 26 and 28 are pivotally mounted onto both sides ofa trumpet housing 30 which is mounted generally below the rear drivingaxle and intermediate the two rear wheels of the tractor. The points ofattachment of the various linkages with the tractor are generallyreferred to as link points and are best illustrated in FIG. 1 by theletters A, B and C. As will be seen, the lower links 26 and 28 havetheir point of attachment to the trumpet housing 30, with the link 26shown attached thereto through link pin 32. The links 26 and 28 arecurved angularly outwardly, as best shown by the reference character 36of link 28, at a point approximately two-thirds of the distancerearwardly of its point of attachment to the housing 30. A pair of drawlinks 38 and 40 are connected to the lower links 26 and 28 at a pointrearwardly of the angular portion 36 by a pair of pins 42 and 44. At theother end thereof, the draw links 38 and 40 are connected to a pair ofrock shaft arms 46 with link 38 specifically shown attached through pin48. The arms 46 are pivotally mounted to a rock shaft (not shown) whichis positioned beneath the drivers seat and generally perpem dicular tothe longitudinal axis of the tractor 12.

An upper link 50 of the hitch 16 is generally known as the third pointof attachment and is secured to a hydraulic package 52 (known sometimescolloquially in the trade as a C-2 option) by means of an upper link pin54. As can also be seen, a suitable L-shaped drawbar 56 and powertakeoff shaft 57 are situated intermediate lower links 26 and 28 and maybe utilized in the conventional manner. The drawbar 56 and power takeoff57 serve no usefulness in connection with the use of the presentinvention and are shown and described for illustrative purposes only.

The frame 14 of the log skidding attachment 10 consists of arectangularly shaped plate 60, having an inner surface 76 and an outersurface 78; A pair of bracket members 66 and 68, generally U-shaped incross section, are welded to the outer surface 78 of plate and define acavity therein adapted to house a pair of clamps 70 and 72 for hingedlyconnecting said attachment 10 to the lower links 26 and 28 of the hitchassembly 16. As seen in FIG. 5, for example, the lower link 28 isattached to the bracket 66 by means of hitch pin 74.

As best seen in FIGS 4 and 5, a fairlead roller assembly, generallydesignated by the, numeral 18, comprises a hook-like structure having apair of legs 82 and 84 and a roof 86. The structure 80 has an innersurface 96 and an outer surface 98. The legs 82 and 84 depend from saidroof 86 and serve as the means by which the assembly 18 is attachedintegrally to the inner surface 76 of the plate 60. The hood-likestructure 80 serves to house a generally horizontal, concavely shapedfairlead roller 88 which is journaled into the legs 82 and 84 and isheld therein by suitable screws, bolts or the like 90. A pair ofelongated L-shaped brackets 92 and 94 are secured to the outer face 98of said structure 80. A plurality of flanges 100, 102, 104 and 106project laterally from the brackets 92 and 94 and serve to securetherebetween a pair of vertically disposed rollers 108 and 110 which arejournaled in the flanges 100, 102, 104 and 106 by suitable screws, boltsor the like. The rollers 108 and 110, unlike the roller 88, are ofgenerally uniform diameter throughout their entire length. A pair offingers 116 and 118 project upwardly from legs 82 and 84 and serve toretain a pair of arms 120 and 122 which project downwardly from rootmembers 112 and 114 integrally affixed to the roof of structure 80. Anopening 124 is disposed at the downwardmost point of said members 112and 114 and serves as the point of attachmentwith the upper link 50 bymeans of a hitch pin 126.

A heavy duty winch 130 with approximately 8,000 to 15,000 pounds baredrum line pull is mounted on the rear frame of the tractor 12. As bestseen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cable 132 is shown as being reeved from thewinch 130 out and over the fairlead roller 88. A plurality of chokermeans 134 are attached to the outer end of the cable 132 and serve asthe means by which the cable 132 is attached to the logs 136. Althoughthe cable 132 is shown with a plurality of chokers 134 attached to theouter end thereof, it is contemplated that the winch 130 of the presentinvention may have a plurality of cables which would extend therefromeach containing a choker ferrule 134 at its terminal point thereof. Sucha winch may be desired, particularly when it is contemplated thatlogging operations will be conducted in such a way that logs will bescattered throughout a fairly large area instead of being congregated ina yard. Otherwise, the chokers 134 would have to be of an extraordinarylength.

In the operation of the present invention, the tractor 12 with the logskidding attachment mounted thereon is moved to the area where the logshave been cut and are ready for yarding. The cable is free spooled overthe fairlead roller and out to the plurality of logs which have beenpreviously cut. The chokers located on the end of the cable or cablesare wrapped around each log in such a way as to form a slip-knot whichtightens as tension is applied to the cable. Once the logs have beensecured to the cable, it is reeved back in over the fairlead roller andrecoiled about the winch drum. The side rollers serveto ease thereeving-in operation where the logs are located at various distanceslaterally of the tractor. The logs are dragged in until they abut theframe of the attachment. During this reeving-in and lifting operation,it will be noted that the power which tends to be pulled upwardlybecause of the tension on the cable caused by the downward pull of thelogs. With many of the conventional devices, this upward force componenttends to lift the rear axle of the tractor upwardly. With the presentinvention, however, this upward lift on the winch is balanced by anequal and opposite downward force asserted on the rear of the tractor bythe attachment of the present invention as well as the additional weightwhich is placed on the upper link or steadying point of the three-pointhitch assembly. Once the logs have been fully brought in and abut theframe of the log skidding attachment, the log bundle isthen ready forthe roading phase of the logging operation. Thus, the tractor is thenmoved to a central assembly or loading area with the logs being draggedthereafter. Such a ground skidding operation is conventional in thelogging industry and with the additional weight of the presentinvention, the tractor will be less susceptible to skidding or slidingshould the access roads be muddy or slippery.

It will also be seen that the height of the fairlead roller can also besimply and readily changed to provide an optimum value for each of thevarious operating conditions. It will be understood that the tractorutilizes large diameter wheels and the higher the fairlead, andconsequently the higher the log load, the greater proportion of theweight of the load being pulled that will be placed on the vehicle. Thisreduces the friction of the load since the part not supported by thevehicle is dragged over ground which is usually very rough. Thus, thehigher the load, the easier skidding becomes. This also minimizes damageto the logs. Generally speaking, the higher the load, the lesshorsepower required to move it. Another advantage to lifting the loadand keeping as much of it as possible off the ground, is that the logsmust subsequently be delimbed and cut into various cord lengths. Quiteobviously, then, the less mud and gravel that is embedded in the trees,the less will be the cost of maintenance of the saws which might be usedin these operations.

It will be seen that the tractor 12 is of the wheel type and has agenerally shorter wheel base than most conventional tractors. Althoughit is contemplated that the attachment 10 of the present invention willfind use with either type, the former is preferred because of itsgreater maneuverability a critical element in most logging operationsbecause of the restricted area in which the various operations must becarried on. It has also been found that the wheeled tractor is preferredto the track-type because of the many additional advantages which flowfrom the use of a wheeled tractor having a generally shortened wheelbase. The tracks have been found to be expensive, noisy, excessivelyheavy and tend to present undue wear and tear as well as repairproblems, especially in the woods. Furthermore, they have been barredfrom many state highways because of their tendency to tear up theroadbeds. The wheeled vehicle, on the contrary, has been found to beless expensive, lighter, easier to repair and less costly to operate.Furthermore, if correctly designed, it will assert more of a tractivepulling force than will a tracktype tractor. Above all, it is easier tosteer and control both on the open highway and in wooded areas.

It will, of course, be understood that further changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention, which, generally stated,consists in the matter shown and described herein and set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a tractor having front and rear axle members anda three-point hitch assembly cooperating with said tractor and having a.pair of lower links and an upper link mounted intermediate said lowerlinks, the improvement comprising,

a frame for supporting a roller assembly and equipped at its inner endwith means for supporting and towing connection with said tractor,

an elevated fairlead on said frame and including a roller rotatableabout a horizontal axis,

a pair of like spaced-apart parallel rollers freely pivotable about avertical axis, a

a winch for pulling a cable passing over said fairlead to a timber loadfor hauling said. load to the tractor and for subsequently towing theload during travel of the tractor,

means cooperating with said cable for gripping said timber load, and

bracket members projecting outwardly from said frame,

means associated with said bracket members and said roller assembly forconnecting said frame to said three-point hitch at a plurality of pointsthereon.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said tractor has a shortened wheelbase and a plurality of pneumatic tires.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lower links of said hitchassembly are connected to said tractor at a point adjacent the rear axlethereof and said upper link is connected to a hydraulically operatedpower supply mounted above and forward of the rear axle of said tractor.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said frame is rectangularlyshaped.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elevated fair-lead roller isconcavely shaped.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said like spaced-apart parallelrollers are of equal dimension throughout their entire length and aremounted laterally and rearwardly of said fairlead roller.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said winch assembly is mounted onthe rear end of said tractor and has a rotatable drum upon which iscoiled a cable for hauling and hoisting said timber load.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said winch assembly and saidroller assembly is oriented intermediate the lower spaced-apart links ofsaid three-point hitch assembly.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said gripping means cooperatingwith said cable comprise a plurality of choker ferrules which areslip-knotted about said timber load.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said bracket members aresubstantially U-shaped.

11. The combination of claim 1 wherein a pair of clamps are mountedwithin the cavity defined by said substantially U-shaped bracket membersand serve as the means by which said frame is connected to the lowerlinks of said hitch assembly.

12. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for connecting saidframe and said roller assembly to said tractor comprise a pair of armscantilevered downwardly from the inner face of said roller assembly andadapted to be connected to the upper link of said hitch assembly,

13. The combination of claim 1 wherein a pair of fingers projectupwardly and angularly from the inner face of said roller assembly inbuttressing relationship to said cantilevered anns.

14. A log skidding attachment in combination with a tractor having awinch and a three-point hitch of the type including a pair ofhorizontally spaced lower links supported generally below a rear axle ofthe tractor and an upper link located above said lower links andsubstantially centrally spaced therebetween, the attachment comprising:a base plate pivotably connected to said pair of lower links; a rollersupporting bracket located above an upper edge of said plate andpivotably connected to said upper link; and a horizontally extendingfairlead roller rotatably supported by said bracket, said roller beinglocated above the horizontal axis of said winch and adapted forelevating a cable of said winch.

15. The combination as recited in claim 14 wherein said base plateincludes a pair of spaced openings for individually receiving one end ofsaid .lower links, and which includes a pair of bracket membersconnected to said plate and individually pivotably connected to saidlower links.

16. The combination as recited in claim 14 which includes guide means onopposite sides of said roller for retaining said cable thereon.

17. The combination as recited in claim 16 wherein said guide meansincludes a pair of vertically extending rollers rotatably supported bysaid roller supporting bracket.

18. The combination as recited in claim 17 wherein said rollersupporting bracket includes first and second parallel spaced flangemembers which project outwardly from said base plate and which supportsaid pairs of rollers.

19. The combination as recited in claim 18 wherein said fairlead rolleris disposed on one side of said base plate and said pair of verticalrollers are disposed proximate an opposite side.

20. The combination as recited in claim 14 which includes at least twolaterally spaced leg members forming opposite sides of said rollersupporting bracket, each of said leg members being fixedly connected tosaid base plate.

1. In combination with a tractor having front and rear axle members anda three-point hitch assembly cooperating with said tractor and having apair of lower links and an upper link mounted intermediate said lowerlinks, the improvement comprising, a frame for supporting a rollerassembly and equipped at its inner end with means for supporting andtowing connection with said tractor, an elevated fairlead on said frameand including a roller rotatable about a horizontal axis, a pair of likespaced-apart parallel rollers freely pivotable about a vertical axis, awinch for pulling a cable passing over said fairlead to a timber loadfor hauling said load to the tractor and for subsequently towing theload during travel of the tractor, means cooperating with said cable forgripping said timber load, and bracket members projecting outwardly fromsaid frame, means associated with said bracket members and said rollerassembly for connecting said frame to said three-point hitch at aplurality of points thereon.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein saidtractor has a shortened wheel base and a plurality of pneumatic tires.3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lower links of said hitchassembly are connected to said tractor at a point adjacent the rear axlethereof and said upper link is connected to a hydraulically operatedpower supply mounted above and forward of the rear axle of said tractor.4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said frame is rectangularlyshaped.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said elevated fair-leadroller is concavely shaped.
 6. The combination of claim 1 wherein saidlike spaced-apart parallel rollers are of equal dimension throughouttheir entire length and are mounted laterally and rearwardly of saidfairlead roller.
 7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said winchassembly is mounted on the rear end of said tractor and has a rotatabledrum upon which is coiled a cable for hauling and hoisting said timberload.
 8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said winch assembly and saidroller assembly is oriented intermediate the lower spaced-apart links ofsaid three-point hitch assembly.
 9. The combination of claim 1 whereinsaid gripping means cooperating with said cable comprise a plurality ofchoker ferrules which are slip-knotted about said timber load.
 10. Thecombination of claim 1 wherein said bracket members are substantiallyU-shaped.
 11. The combination of claim 1 wherein a pair of clamps aremounted within the cavity defined by said substantially U-shaped bracketmembers and serve as the means by which said frame is connected to thelower links of said hitch assembly.
 12. The combination of claim 1wherein said means for connecting said frame and said roller assembly tosaid tractor comprise a pair of arms cantilevered downwardly from theinner face of said roller assembly and adapted to be connected to theupper link of said hitch assembly.
 13. The combination of claim 1wherein a pair of fingers project upwardly and angularly from the innerface of said roller assembly in buttressing relationship to saidcantiLevered arms.
 14. A log skidding attachment in combination with atractor having a winch and a three-point hitch of the type including apair of horizontally spaced lower links supported generally below a rearaxle of the tractor and an upper link located above said lower links andsubstantially centrally spaced therebetween, the attachment comprising:a base plate pivotably connected to said pair of lower links; a rollersupporting bracket located above an upper edge of said plate andpivotably connected to said upper link; and a horizontally extendingfairlead roller rotatably supported by said bracket, said roller beinglocated above the horizontal axis of said winch and adapted forelevating a cable of said winch.
 15. The combination as recited in claim14 wherein said base plate includes a pair of spaced openings forindividually receiving one end of said lower links, and which includes apair of bracket members connected to said plate and individuallypivotably connected to said lower links.
 16. The combination as recitedin claim 14 which includes guide means on opposite sides of said rollerfor retaining said cable thereon.
 17. The combination as recited inclaim 16 wherein said guide means includes a pair of verticallyextending rollers rotatably supported by said roller supporting bracket.18. The combination as recited in claim 17 wherein said rollersupporting bracket includes first and second parallel spaced flangemembers which project outwardly from said base plate and which supportsaid pairs of rollers.
 19. The combination as recited in claim 18wherein said fairlead roller is disposed on one side of said base plateand said pair of vertical rollers are disposed proximate an oppositeside.
 20. The combination as recited in claim 14 which includes at leasttwo laterally spaced leg members forming opposite sides of said rollersupporting bracket, each of said leg members being fixedly connected tosaid base plate.